Brake attachment for ski



March 18, 1969 H. HINTERHOLZER 3,433,494

' BRAKE ATTACHMENT FOR SKI Filed Sept. 6. 1967 United States PatentABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Attachment for a ski which, upon removal ofthe skiers boot from the runner, flips sideways from a normal positionon the upper surface of the runner into an olfnormal position in which apreferably serrated tongue projects downwardly below the runner to diginto the underlying terrain and arrest a runaway ski.

My present invention relates to a brake attachment for a ski.

In order to minimize the risk of leg fractures during skiing, it hasbecome the practice to provide skis with bindings which automatiacllyrelease the skiers boot from the runner in the event of a fall. Althoughthis expedient eliminates a grave danger, it creates the risk that afallen skier may lose either or both runners as they continue unattendeddown a sloping snow or ice field. Apart from leaving the skier stranded,such a runaway ski may also imperil other persons in the vicinity.

It is, therefore, the general object of my invention to provide meansassociated with a ski binding for automatically arresting the runnerwhenever the skiers boot becomes detached therefrom, the arrangementbeing such as not to impair the mobility of the runner under normalskiing conditions.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a brakingattachment for the purpose described which, during periods of non-use,is maintained inoperative even in the absence of a boot yet which isautomatically conditioned for possible operation as soon as the skiersteps onto the runner.

In pursuance of the aforestated object, a brake attachment according tomy invention consists essentially of three basic parts, Le. a supportfixedly secured to the runner, preferably at an edge thereof, anintermediate member hinged to the support in the region of the boot, anda tongue hinged to the intermediate member, the latter member beingspring-loaded to swing about a generally longitudinal axis withreference to the support whereas the tongue is spring-loaded to swingabout a generally transverse axis with reference to the intermediatemember. Normally, i.e. in the presence of a boot engaged by the binding,the intermediate member and the tongue are held down onto the uppersurface of the runner; when the boot is removed, the intermediate memberswings laterally outwardly and the tongue pivots relatively to theintermediate member into a braking position in which it projectsdownwardly beyond the underside of the runner to dig into the snow orice of the underlying terrain.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a detentmechanism designed to hold the tongue and its intermediate member ontothe upper surface of the runner, e.g. during storage or transportation,until the user steps on the runner for th efirst time. The skier thendepresses a camming element which, by disengaging two co-operatingelements from each other, deactivates the detent so that a subsequentdetachment of the boot from its binding will operate the brakeattachment and arrest the runner.

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of arunner equipped with a brake attachment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a side-elevational view as seen from the line IVIV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional rear view through the runner taken on the line VVof FIG. 2, showing the attachment in its off-normal position; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view as seen from the line VIVI of FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 I have shown a conventional ski runner 1 provided withthe usual binding of which only a toe clam-p 2 has been illustrated; theskiers boot has been indicated in dot-dash lines at 30 in FIG. 1. Theassociated heel clamp, not shown, is assumed to be so constructed as torelease the boot 30 from the binding in the event of severe lateralstresses, occurring during a fall, as is well known per se.

A support plate 3, best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, is fastened by means ofscrews 4 to a longitudinal edge 5 of the runner 1 and has a pair of eyes311, 3b traversed by a pintle 6 which also passes through eyes 8a, 8b ofan anchor plate 8 normally lying flat against the upper surface ofrunner 1 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Eyes 3a, 3b, and 8a, 8b constitute,together with pintle 6, a hinge by which the plate 8 can swing about alongitudinal axis A approximately in line with the edge 5.

A coil spring 7, wound about pintle 6, urges the plate 8 laterallyoutwardly as indicated by arrow a in FIG. 5. A second hinge compriseseyes 9a, 9b on plate 8 and eyes 11a, 11b on a flat tongue 12 as well asa pintle 9, this pintle being surrounded by a coil spring 10 which tendsto swing the tongue 12 upwardly about a transverse axis B, FIG. 2, withreference to the intermediate member 8 as indicated by arrow [2 in FIG.3. Eyes 11a, 11b are formed with spurs 13 which come to rest in recesses14 of plate 8 to limit this relative swing to an acute angle ofapproximately 45.

Tongues 12, which is partly frames by a I-shaped ridge 2a secured torunner 1, has two serrated edges 12a, 12b, meeting in a point 120, and asmooth edge 12d perpendicular to its hinge axis B. When the boot restson the assembly 8, 12, these elements are held down against the force oftheir biasing springs 7, 10 so that the attachment 3, 8, 12 remainsinoperative.

If a fall dislodges the boot from the binding 2, tongue 12 swingsupwardly (arrow b) with reference to plate 8 which in turn pivotslaterally (arrow a) relatively to plate 3 through an angle of 270 toassume the position shown in full lines in FIG. 5. Under theseconditions, tongue 12 comes to rest with its smooth edge 12b paralleland close to the underside of runner 1 and, as best seen in FIG. 6,extends forwardly from its hinge at an acute angle (here about 45) tothe longitudinal direction of the runner. Its serrated edges 12a, 12ddig into the terrain and arrest the runner even in a canted positionthereof.

In accordance with another feature of my invention, I provide a detentmechanism adapted to hold the tongue 12 flat against the runner 1 whenthe brake attachment is to remain inoperative, as during transportationand storage. For this purpose I provide the tongue 12 with a resilientarm in the form of a leaf spring 16, attached to it by rivets 15. Thefree end f arm 16, opposite the rivets, carries a downwardly taperinghead 17 aligned with a hole 25 in the body of the tongue. The oppositeface of tongue 12 has an elongated recess 18 into which projects a ledge21 having an aperture 21'. A spring wire 19, anchored at 20 to the bodyof tongue 12, overlies the ledge 21 and, in the position of FIG. 3 inwhich the boot is assumed to be absent, engages a shoulder 24 formed bythe head 23 of a pin 22 which rises from the runner 2 through aperture21'. When the skier steps onto the runner 1, preparatorily to fasteningthe boot to the binding 2, the slightly inclined spring arm 16 isdepressed by the boot 30 so that its head 17 enters the hole 25 and camsaside the spring wire 19 which is thus disengaged from the retainingelement 22, 23 so that tongue 12 is free to swing upwardly when and ifthe boot is subsequently removed. Head 17 may have a lateral notch 26 toreceive the wire 19 and be locked by it in position so as to prevent are-engagement of co-operating detent elements 19 and 22, 23 after theboot has been lifted, yet before the springs 7, 10 have swung the plates8, 12 away from the surface of runner 1.

If desired, runner 1 may be provided with a lateral recess along edge toaccommodate the plate 3 in a nonprotruding position. It will beapparent, however, that this plate could also be mounted on the uppersurface of the runner 1, in the region of the binding 2.

I claim:

1. In a ski having a runner provided with boot-engaging means, thecombination therewith of a brake attachment for arresting said runnerupon detachment thereof from a skiers boot, said attachment comprising asupport fixed to said runner, an intermediate member hinged to saidsupport adjacent said boot-engaging means and resting on an uppersurface of the runner in a normal position of the attachment in whichsaid member is overlain by the boot, said member being swingablerelatively to said support about a first axis substantially parallel tothe longitudinal direction of the runner, a tongue hinged to said memberfor swinging relatively thereto about a second axis substantiallyperpendicular to said first axis, said tongue being overlain by the bootin said normal position, first spring means anchored to said member andtending to swing same laterall outwardly about said first axis into anofi-normal position, and second spring means anchored to said tongue forswinging same about said second axis into a braking position in whichsaid tongue projects downwardly beyond the underside of the runner uponsaid member occupying said off-normal position thereof.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said first axis extends ata longitudinal edge of the runner, said member in said off-normalposition bearing sideways upon said edge under the action of said firstsprings means.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said member has a portionextending downwardly beyond the underside of the runner in saidelf-normal position,

said tongue being so hinged to said portion as to lie entirelyunderneath the runner in said off-normal position.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 wherein said tongue and saidmember are provided with co-operating stop means for arresting saidtongue, in the off-normal position of said member, in said brakingposition with said tongue extending forwardly from said second axisacross the underside of the runner at an acute angle to saidlongitudinal direction.

5. The combination described in claim 4 wherein said tongue is providedwith a smooth edge bearing upon the underside of the runner in saidbraking position, said tongue also having a serrated edge digging intothe underlying terrain in said braking position.

6. The combination described in claim 2 wherein said support is securedlaterally to the runner at said longitudinal edge.

7. The combination described in claim 1, further comprising detent meanson said runner for temporaril deactivating said attachment by holdingsaid member and said tongue against the upper surface of the runner,said detent means being releasable by the weight of the overlying boot.

8. The combination described in claim 7 wherein said detent meanscomprises a retaining element rising from the runner, a co-operatingelement on said tongue engageable with said retaining element, andcamming means on said tongue actuable by the boot for disengaging saidcooperating element from said retaining element.

9. The combination defined in claim 8 wherein said co-operating elementis a spring wire and said camming means comprises a spring arm rising ata small angle from said tongue, said spring arm terminating in adownwardly tapering head engageable with said spring wire upon downwardpressure on said spring arm.

10. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said intermediate memberand said tongue are plates lying flat against the upper surface of therunner in said normal position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,048,418 8/ 1962 Gertsch.3,083,028 3/ 1963 Miller. 3,195,911 7/ 1965 Cubberley.

FOREIGN PATENTS 216,398 7/1961 Austria.

96,661 8/ 1960 Norway. 185,704 10/ 193 6 Switzerland.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Primary Examiner.

M. L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner.

